Denver sure seems like it's reaching Austin status with the amount of great bands residing there. This time, we're talking about State Drugs and their sophomore album, Live. Laugh. Love., where the quartet blaze through nine tracks of indie rockish, punk friendly, and alt-rock fueled tunes that are all substance and absolutely no filler.

“Beautiful Broke” starts the listen and makes an instant impression with energetic bass work and crisp drumming as melodic, crunchy guitars align with  singing in post-hardcore meets modern indie rock approach. “Good Enough” follows with a swirling energy of gritty yet tuneful display of driving, garage rock influenced song craft, and “Goonies” continues with a proficient execution from the rhythm section that's got some pop-punk spirit.

The middle tracks offer us the fuzzy, mid-tempo rocker “Offsides Forever,” where subtle nods to the '80s won't go unnoticed, while “Threat Level Midnight” thumps and soars with immediate sing-alongs in a lively climate. There just isn't a bad tune to be found here, but “Country Culture” is especially exceptional with its energetic and punchy spirit that's got '90s punk written all over it.

The final three tracks continue the strong songwriting with the highly tuneful and emotionally charged “Reason Season,” and “A Little, A Lot” follows with a bit of grit buried under the razor sharp melodies.  “Rain King,” a Counting Crows tune, bookends the listen, and it's thicker and louder under the State Drugs' filter, giving the classic a bit of steroids while still retaining its timeless beauty.

Some bands that I was reminded of here include Elway, The Promise Ring, Jawbreaker, and Husker Du (Candy Apple Grey era), which is very high praise as far as I'm concerned. State Drugs is offering this album digitally as a 'name your price,' but if you want the wax you'll have to act fast; there's only a couple hundred made, and I might have to pick up a second copy because I'll likely wear the grooves out on my first one.

Rating: A

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